Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 is a supersealed “greenhouse” enclosing an area of 3.15 acres. Exit and entry is through a double airlock. It consists of several different ecosystems within the “greenhouse.” It houses a tropical rainforest, savannah, scrub forest, desert, fresh- and salt-water marshes and a miniocean that even contains a coral reef. This biosphere is inhabited by over 4000 species in all.
The biosphere is able to preserve it environment because; water vapor from evaporation and transpiration of plants is condensed to produce high amounts of rainfall over the tropical rainforest. From there the water runs back towards the marshes and ocean as is filters through the soil, providing for an ample supply of fresh water for the humans as well as the ecosystems. The carbon dioxide released from respiration is absorbed for photosynthesis and necessary oxygen is replenished. Thus, meeting the necessary requirements for a sustainable biosphere. Biosphere 2 is not completely self-sufficient, it does depend on solar energy, and the energy demands that are created to power the necessary machinery, would require another 30 acres of solar collectors.
The conclusion of the “cycle” is that not everything went exactly as planned. The oxygen level at one point dropped and additional oxygen had to be added to compensate for the underestimated amount of oxygen used by the decomposers in the soil. Larger amounts of carbon dioxide were used because of chemical reactions with exposed concrete. A large number of the species introduced especially insects necessary for pollination, died off, requiring pollination of many plants by hand. Despite these drawbacks the water, soil, and nutrients they started with were the same as when finished, having gone through the cycle a countless number of times.
We have learned from this experiment that it is possible to build a biosphere, that integrates humans, and have it function within the tolerable limits of sustainability. Future versions of this experiment may be used in constructing permanent space stations or for long distance space exploration. If we continue mistreating our present biosphere we may end up living in structures similar to Biosphere 2.
In my opinion this experiment proved to be very valuable if we wish to set up colonies on the Moon or other planets. This experiment is the beginning of the necessary information that will be needed to construct a completely self-sufficient biosphere.
When it comes to the observation part of forming the experiment as well as after the experiment was done, a lot of groups observed the same things. The most significant observations were we observed the
The Steinhardt Conservatory is a $25 million complex holding BBG's extensive indoor collection in realistic environments that simulate a range of global habitats. The Tropical Pavilion, 65 feet high, re-creates a rain forest complete with a waterfall and streams. Flora from the Amazon Basin, African Rain Forest, and tropical eastern Asia thrive here. The Helen Mattin Warm Temperate Pavilion houses plants from central China, the Mediterranean, Australasia, southern Africa, and the western U.
Evaluation: If this experiment was to be redone then more diverse oceanic life would have to be used playing different roles in the water. The experiment performed showed a small projection of the ocean’s course if pH levels rise but by adding more confounding variables then maybe the outcome may have been different. If another researcher is to replicate this experiment it is optimal if they did several different trials to see if the same result occurs like the one just performed.
Tropical rainforests are an extremely unique and diverse ecosystem that are located around the earth’s equator. They once covered roughly 7% of the world, but due to human encroachment that has dwindled to just 2%. It is a highly moisture rich environment that typically receives anywhere between 60 and 400 inches of rainfall annually and average humidity ranges from 70 to 90%. A high average year round temperature, coupled with the moisture rich environment, creates an ecosystem that allows for a level of biodiversity seen nowhere else on the planet. This also results in a specific type of layering design that allows the system to survive and recycle its nutrients.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the various components of different ecosystems in a smaller representation and study the conditions required for the ecosystem’s sustainability as well as the connections between
A tropical rainforest is a humid, moist biome located near the Earth’s equator, with the world’s largest rainforest being in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Rainforests collect from 60 to 160 inches of rainfall throughout the year, with the constant humidity and moisture within the rainforest creates the perfect biome for tropical condition thriving plants and animals. One of the world’s best environments for biodiversity are the tropical rainforests, they contain 15 million species of plants and animals. The humid conditions of the tropical rainforests are ideal for bacteria and other microorganisms, these organisms remain active for the whole year being at their optimum temperature they break down, decompose the forest floors matter for example decayed plants and other dead animals. In other biomes such as Deciduous forests decomposed leaf litter on the forests floor contributes to the nutrients of the forests soil whereas a Tropical rainforest grows so rapidly that the plants consume the broken down litter. This result in the plants retaining most of the nutrients rather than the sold allowing them to grow larger than the deciduous forests, any nutrients that are absorbed by the soil is leaked out by the amount of rainfall leaving the soil unfertile and acidic.
The Yasuni National Park possesses very diverse rainforest which significantly impact how the ecosystem functions; yet the the processes of disturbance and succession greatly affect them ("Yasuni National Park, Ecuador", "Ecuador Yasuni ITT Trust Fund" ). Just one hectare of the park contains more species of trees and bushes than all of North America ("Foreseeable Impacts of Oil Industry Activity in Yasuní")! There are a staggering 1762 species of trees and shrubs that have been identified in Yasuni, and approximately 400 of them are inherent to the region (“Foreseeable”). Hundreds of the plants in the previously untouchable zones have not even been classified or studied in depth (“Foreseeable”). The park is also paradise to a multitude of animal...
2). As a result, this scientific experiment changed the relationship of humankind and nature by foreseeing the modification of DNA of bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals to discover new medicines and to provide solutions for inherited diseases (Le Vine, 1999, p. 2).
A biome, also known as life zones, consists of all plants, animals, and other organisms, as well the physical environment in a particular area. A biome is characterized by its’ plant life, climate, and location. The climate and physical features determine the boundaries of a biome. A biome is made up of many different ecosystems. The ecosystems tend to have the same pants and animals as neighboring biomes around the boundaries. The major biomes are the tundra, taiga, tropical rain forest, temperate forests, desert, grassland, savanna, chaparral, and marine. Each biome has it’s own characteristics such as the tundra.
Raven, Peter H., Linda R. Berg, and David M. Hassenzahl. "Wiley: Environment, 6th Edition." Wiley: Home. Web. 05 Feb. 2012. .
An ecosystem is an identifiable system of interdependent relationships between living organisms and their biophysical environment. Ecosystems exist in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Meaning the ecosystem is constantly evolving while still remaining in a stable state. Coral reef ecosystems are long, narrow masses of coral and other substances the top of which is adjacent to the surface of the sea. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) spans from 8°N and 24°S, stretching from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea to the southern Queensland (QLD) coast. The reef the largest living thing on earth, covers an area of 348000 km2 is composed of over 25000 individual reefs and 900 islands. However, the dynamic equilibrium of this complex ecosystem is being affected by both by both natural and human induced stresses which impacts nature, rate of change and functioning of the GBR. Accordingly, humans have introduced a number of strategies to stabilise the dynamic equilibrium of the GBR
There is also the potential of human error within this experiment for example finding the meniscus is important to get an accurate amount using the graduated pipettes and burettes. There is a possibility that at one point in the experiment a chemical was measured inaccurately affecting the results. To resolve this, the experiment should have been repeated three times.
Various plant and animal species depend on each other for what each offers and these diverse species ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. A healthy and solid biodiversity can recover itself from a variety of disasters. It is estimated that the current species extinction rate is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be. Therefore, there is an urgent need, not only to manage and conserve the biotic wealth, but also restore the degraded ecosystems. c) Captivity breeding species can again be reintroduced into the wild.
This tendency of developed countries to exceed the minimum standard of living combined with the increasing population is steadily depleting nature’s offerings. The nitrogen cycle, the carbon cycle, and the water cycle have been disrupted as a result of human activity which is destroying the cycle of life.
The biosphere is a closed self-regulating system that integrates living organisms with nonliving components of a planet (Lenkeit). The biosphere is part of the outer shell of a planet and includes the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere (answers.com).